Just Like That
by akachiis
Summary: AU. Kayano, Nagisa, and Sugino are childhood friends. They are always been together ever since they were little. Until 9th grade happened, and Nagisa decided to go to another city for high school. - "And I thought we're going to stay together forever."


**Author's note: This is inspired by Shigatsu wa kimi no uso. Well it's kind of like an AU, with some alternations. I hope you enjoy this one shot! Happy reading :)**

 ** _"There is a boy. He's in the same class as me. He is small, and he's just like my little then again, why did he seem so big in my eyes? He's careless,timid, and sometimes he worries this day, I never had the thought of him being somebody so important in my life."_**

Kayano Kaede is one of many things, but she could never imagine finding herself being irritated over something like seeing her neighbour talking to the class' primadona, Kanzaki Yukiko. She is pretty, kind, and polite. No wonder everybody likes her. Well, she is one of Kayano's close friends, of course; but she never thought that she would feel irritated to see her talking with Nagisa. Kayano gritted her teeth, crushing the chocolate milk's carton out of fury. Why is he blushing? Why did he seem so happy talking with her?

Why?

WHY.

"Kayano-san?" she could hear Okuda's small voice as she sip the milk from the crushed straw which she just bite. Why is she so irritated anyway? It's just **_NAGISA_**. It's just her childhood friend. It's just her freaking neighbour. She is still watching them, when she felt a pat on her shoulder. It was Sugino Tomohito, the very last person she wanted to see right now.

"oooooh, somebody is jealous!" he commented , grinning as always. She has always wanted to rip that face when she saw that. Sugino ,her, and Nagisa are best friends ever since they were little. So Sugino knows that irritated face very well.

"I am not!" Kayano denies, though she is still sulking. Unfortunately, the said person is still laughing and blushing with the other girl. She knows that she can't feel this way. After all, feeling like this for her supposedly 'little brother' is not right.

"Your face says everything."

And she knows that he was right. She knew it deep in her heart, that he is right. Sugino has always can read her like a book, why change now? Kayano tries to convince herself that this thing is just a summer fling, but it just doesn't work that way now does it? Everything she acts,everything she says, it's just the opposite of what she actually felt.

This…sucks.

XXXXXXXXXX

For a few days she tries to stay low. She tries to keep things to herself, and she keeps denying that her feelings towards him is not 'love'. Nagisa …, he maybe not realize it, but he really is kind of popular with the ladies. And she is not even making this up. Just like always, she goes straight home after the school had finished. Although today she is not walking home with Nagisa, because he seems like he's busy with his work . And plus, he is on duty today ; together with Sugino. On her way home, she made a lot of thinking about her feelings towards Nagisa. As one of Nakamura's remarks really bothering her.

 ** _"Are you sure that your love for him is completely platonic?"_**

Is she sure? Of course she is sure! Nagisa is like a little brother that she never had! They spend so much time together, that she started to see him as her little brother. While its true that she might have been had some issues with Hiromi once because she played too much with him when they were little, and made his marks to drop, her will to come and play with him is so much bigger than her fear towards Hiromi.

Kayano scratched her head in frustration as she hear a noise from her balcony. She takes a look at the balcony, and surprised to see Nagisa at the other side of the window [which is in his room], facing to her. It has been awhile since they talk through the windows like this.

"Psst, Kaede," he started . "Do you have time?"

She tilted her head.

"What is it?"

"The moon is bright today, care for a walk?"

"..Sure. Be down in five."

She could have said no. But she didn't. She could have turn him down. But she didn't. She wonders what is wrong with her that she just accepted his offer? Isn't she trying to avoid him this past week? But for some reason, him asking her to take a walk with him tonight just made her happy. They didn't really talk lately because he talked more with Kanzaki, and every time they did talk, Nagisa would just blabbered about how kind Kanzaki is. And how helpful she is. To be quite honest..it hurts. To hear him talking about Kanzaki all the time. To hear him praising her when ever they spend time together, and to think that she actually felt jealous? That is beyond ridiculous!

"Oh, Kaede," she could hear his sweet voice meeting her by the entrance. "There you are."

How she loved his warm smile and sweet tone.

"Sorry, did you wait long? Let's go ."

She hoped that this night would be a good night. She had missed him, to be quite honest. She had missed spending time with him without feeling anxious or nervous. She wanted to go back to their time as kids, where she doesn't have to worry about 'loving' him more than a brother, or a friend.

The wind is rather chilly today, even though this is summer. Kayano tries to walk in the same pace as Nagisa, she tried to remain as calm as possible when their fingers accidentally touches each other as they walk by the street. Nagisa is awfully quiet tonight. Well she knows that he is a quiet type of person, but tonight he is awfully quiet.

"Have you thought anything about high school?"

Suddenly he breaks the silence , and faced her. Honestly speaking, she hadn't thought anything about highschool. If it's possible, she wanted to stay and go at the same high school as him and Sugino. She just wanted to be together with them. After all, they are like her family .

"I actually..havent really thought about high school. Where do you want to go for highschool?"

Nagisa pursed his lips.

"Do you remember Sakura-chan?"

She nodded. "Of course, she's your student-"

"Well, thanks to her I know what I want to do in the future. " he says. "I think I'm going to go to a teaching institution in the future, that's why I need to study hard. I'm going to attend Minami Gakuen."

Minami Gakuen? But isn't that in Kanagawa? That is too far from here! Kayano couldn't believe what she's hearing. Does that mean he's going far away from here? Far away from her? She can't see him anymore?

What-?

"Kaede-?"

This isn't fair. She haven't really figured out how she really feels about him and now he's slipping away from her? For high school? What sorcery is this? Kayano is beyond surprised, she is actually shocked, knowing that straight from his mouth. She could feel her eyes burning, tears building up. This is way too much. She doesn't know how to contain her feelings anymore. The tears that she worked so hard to not to spill when he's around. Her feelings- her real feelings…

Drip.

Drip.

Drop.

Her tears fell on her cheeks , down to her jaw, and then to her chin and then to her neck. Why is this always happening to her…? Why did she always…always… losing the people she had cared about? This is just not fair.

Seeing his friend crying right in front of him, Nagisa widened his eyes. His azure eyes widened due to surprise. He has never seen Kayano cry, not even once. He knows that she had cried behind his back, but not like never cried in front of him.

"Ka-"

Oh believe him, he tried to chase for her. But she is ran just too fast. And he lost track of her—part of him believes that it's best to leave her alone for the moment, but at the same time he wanted to find her and comfort her.

But alas , he had lost her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ever since that incident, she avoids Nagisa as much as she can. The only time she had to face him is in school because unfortunately you cant change your sitting place just because you had a fight with that said person who happens to sit right next to her.

For the whole day.

"Are you and Nagisa having a fight?" Sugino asks with raised eyebrows. Kayano looked at him and shakes her head to assure him that she and Nagisa are fine. Although they didn't technically had a fight, she did cry in front of him the other night. And she isn't sure how to face him after all that. While that thought is inside her mind, Nagisa really thinks that she is mad at him. Because of what? Because she never really answer his calls. And when he tries to chat with her via emails or social network, she always answer it very shortly. And when he does try to talk to her, her answer are always short and packed up.

He is not sure why.

Until the sport day came, and they had to play against the A class students. The boys with baseball, and the girls with the basket ball. Kayano is so confident that their team is going to win the trophy and all. Well guess what? The game is not that easy. Especially when they have a distracted girl in their team.

Kayano just had to fall in the middle of the game. Tripped with her own shoe laces. Fortunately, she claims that she is 'okay'. And they can continue the game. Though unfortunately they have lost from the A class.

That day cant be more any much worse. While Kayano knew that the boys had won the challenge and beating the baseball team, seeing Nagisa having a nice conversation with Kanzaki ruined everything. She knew it was her fault to begin with, after all she is the one who has been pushing away Nagisa to speak with her.

And yet seeing them being 'together' really pisses her off to no end.

"You really looked like you're ready to kill someone , there!" Nakamura laughed seeing Kayano's expression watching Nagisa and Kanzaki are chatting again. Kayano groaned, rolling her eyes in annoyance she scoffed.

"I'm not. Leave me alone."

Nakamura chuckles. "See, that's exactly why your relationship with Nagisa never going to evolve! Stop pushing him away. "

"None of your business, Nakamura-san."

"But it kind of is, you see. You need to accept that you're in love with Nagisa. Stop acting that you aren't! Geez, you're hurting yourself!" she commented.

Silence.

"There is a limit for your platonic affection. By this point your actions are not even platonic anymore. Stop running away."

By this point , Kayano really is tired listening to hear Nakamura's babblings. She is irritated, yes. But that's because she knew that Nakamura's words are true. She does love Nagisa. But her other part keeps saying that it's wrong to love him that way, and it will destroy their friendship. No..she didn't want that.

If being hurt can make that friendship stays, then shall be it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ugh…it hurts…" Kayano sighs as she feels her swollen foot is getting worse and worse as the time goes. She did feel the pain ever since she fell in that embarrassing accident earlier, but she didn't know it will be this 'painful'. Her house is still blocks away. But she cant barely walks anymore. Her right foot who is swollen is getting heavier and heavier in seconds, and it's impossible for her to walk.

A vibrate of her phone startled her.

"What do you want?" she sighs as she hear Sugino's voice from the other side of the line. What does he want now? Cant he see that she's dealing with 'how the hell do I get home from here' situation?

Besides its rare for him to call her like this.

"Oh, nothing . Simply telling you that prince charming is in his way to save you, princess."

She groaned in annoyance. "I ain't princess, and who's charming? Isogai-kun? Don't be ridiculo-" she couldn't even finish her words when she see a certain blunette carrying ice packs in plastic bags, with his worried face.

"Kaede!"

She blinked, turning off her phone and place it inside her pocket.

"What are you doing here?"

He sighed. "Thank God, I made it!" he gave her his boyish grin. "You're hurt aren't you?"

"What are you talking-owww!"

The moment Nagisa kicked her right leg, everything stings. Yes everything. Including her muscles, every inch of it. It made her to shiver and give him a glare. Seriously what he's problem? Why can't he just run along and go home already?

"You haven't change a bit, Kaede." He chuckles. "Drop the act, seriously."

He leaned down and takes off her right shoe , socks-before he wrapped the ice pack around her ankle and ties it. She cannot believe that he really is doing this. He came back for her. And how the hell he knows that she's injured anyway? She fooled anyone in that class, just how.

"Hop on."

She takes a look of his back, while he is kneeling backing her this time. Is he offering her a piggy ride. She is hesitant for a bit, before she slowly wraps her arms around his neck and he starts carrying her on his back.

It's weird.

Being on his back like this…it's weird.

Just a moment ago she was really angry and jealous towards him and Kanzaki. Just a moment ago she was really irritated and didn't know how would she talk or face him if she ever meet him again. But now… all of that just vanished. Nagisa has always been warm. He has always been soothing. She could smell the vanilla scent from his neck as he walked. His scent has always been calming . For her, anyway.

"Kaede…are you still mad at me?"

His question made her froze. Mad? No…she has never been mad at him. Upset yes, but mad-no. She could never be mad at him, honestly speaking. She buried her face against his back, enjoying the scent brushing to her face.

"I was never mad at you."

"Then what's with the short dialogues..? You acted like you're mad at me."

"I was upset, yes. But never mad. "

Silence.

"Is this because of the high school thing?"

Kayano pursed her lips together. Of course it's about the school thing. What else it could be? After all he would move away before she can confess about her feelings to him. She knew that she is being very selfish regarding this. But she can't help to feel that way.

After all she's only human.

"Why didn't you just say so? " He sighed. "You know… I feel bad for making you cry like that. I never want to see you crying in front of me like that again…"

"Sorry. But the thing is.. I just cant stand thinking that I will not see you in a long time."

A pause.

"Do you feel lonely?"

She nodded and tightened her arms around his neck. "hmm."

Nagisa pursed his lips together. He thought so. After all it is hard for him to leave this town , especially leaving Kayano and Sugino.

"Then I'll stay by your side. "

All he needed to know is how Kayano really feels about all of this, and he's willing to stay and go to high school around this town. Of course, his goal for being a teacher wont change. But even not going to that institution, he knew that he can achieve his goal.

"Just like that?"

Kayano in the other hand is surprised. Her words can change his mind just like that? How in the world? And she thought that she wont be seeing him for another three years or so! She widened her eyes and looks into his back.

"Just like that. "

After all , all he needs is to hear the sentence coming from Kayano's lips.


End file.
